Forecast

Centerplate CEO Des Hague is facing potential legal and business repercussions after a video surfaced that showed Hague kicking and dragging a small dog in the elevator of a Vancouver, British Columbia, hotel.

The board of directors at Centerplate has placed Hague, a Stamford resident, on "indefinite probation," and stipulated that "as a condition of his continued employment," he will donate $100,000 of his personal funds to the Sade Foundation, a charity to be established in honor of Sade, the Doberman pinscher puppy that Hague mistreated. The foundation will be used to "support the protection and safety of animals in the city of Vancouver," as outlined by Centerplate, and the company has pledged to contribute a portion of its sales to the Sade Foundation. Centerplate is also requiring Hague to serve 1,000 community service hours at an animal welfare and protection organization.

The Stamford-based catering company, which supplies food to sports and entertainment venues in the United States and Canada, issued a statement to repudiate Hague's actions: "We pride ourselves as individuals and as a company on how we treat others -- both humans and animals. The company finds Mr. Hague's personal behavior unacceptable and outside the bounds of our high standards and expectations of all of our staff. We do not condone nor can we overlook the mistreatment of animals and Mr. Hague's personal misconduct."

The board stated that any "further acts of misconduct" from Hague would result in his prompt termination. The statement noted that Hague has expressed "sincere remorse and shame for erratic behavior that is uncharacteristic of him."

In Vancouver, Hague may still face charges and fines in relation to the incident. The British Columbia Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigated the incident, seized the dog and has forwarded the evidence to Crown Counsel, British Columbia's prosecution service, which will make a decision.

"We are very pleased to see that the Canadian authorities are conducting a thorough investigation," said Alicia Wright, public relations director for the Connecticut Humane Society in Newington. "If evidence warrants, we hope and urge British Columbia to prosecute Des Hague to the fullest extent of Canadian law."

Hague has served as CEO of Centerplate since 2009, following the company's purchase by private equity firm Kohlberg & Co. Centerplate, now owned by Olympus Partners, has contracts with teams in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League. Locally, they supply food for the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.